A woman was run over by an ICE agent’s car in downtown Los Angeles, California. The incident was caught on camera during an anti-ICE protest outside a federal detention center, sparking debate about the agency’s excessive use of force.
In the video, a masked agent can be seen trying to leave the premises. Some protesters are standing in the way, and one woman ends up being dragged by the car. The agent continues driving, completely ignoring her, and she holds onto the vehicle for a few seconds before falling to the ground. Finally, she stands up with the help of fellow protesters.
Reports from CBSNews identified the woman as Jasmin Alyssa Quan-Martinez, and fortunately, she was not seriously injured in the incident. According to her, she did not intend to be in the car’s path, but she is “not the fastest thinker sometimes,” so she was caught by surprise and could not react quickly enough to get out of the way.
Internet Viewers Are Outraged Due to ICE’s Violence in Los Angeles
Social media users reacted viscerally to the video, saying that running over the woman was “pure evil” and that the agents “have gone completely insane. It’s time we all stand up and put a stop to this madness.”
Some folks were irritated that people were already “saying she stepped in front of the car,” as if that would exonerate the ICE agent who ran her over. Others argued that the video was essentially proof of a crime: “That’s straight-up hit and run while armed, which should warrant felony charges for all occupants of the vehicle.”
Some enraged Americans also compared the situation to the killing of Renée Nicole Good, which occurred earlier this year in Minneapolis, Minnesota: “Isn’t this the part where they shoot us if our car is driving towards them? Just asking.” In that case, the 37-year-old American woman was fatally shot by an ICE agent while inside her vehicle.
Hopefully, these violent situations involving immigration agents in California will cease to be so common in the future, but there are no clear signs that these conflicts are about to end.
